Healing the Broken
by SecretlyGreatly
Summary: Ella Rogers is a normal witch with a bright future until she finds out a dark family secret which holds the potential to break her perfect world into a million pieces. Will long time childhood friend Draco Malfoy help her piece back her life, or break it further? And what happens when their friendship turns into something more? Will Draco's mistakes ruin them forever?
1. A Stranger In the Night

A Stranger In the Night

"She's so beautiful!" Charles exclaimed as his wife held out the baby girl to her excited husband. She had bright blue eyes that glowed from a pale face, with ruby red lips that rested peacefully beneath a petite nose.

"And she is all ours." Charles wife, Annabeth, said with a smile. Her own eyes were bright blue also, and her cheeks had a healthy red sheen from the exertion of childbirth. Her deep red hair was tied in a messy bun with a blue headband holding it back from her face, and she barely had enough strength to hold herself in an upright position. However, she smiled and said "What should we name her?"

"Something beautiful, like her eyes. They come from your side of the family Anna." Charles whispered as he planted an affectionate kiss on his wife's forehead. Contrast to his wife's light skin and pink lips, Charles had a darker, olive sheen of skin with bright green eyes that stood out from his face. His hair was dark and cut short, as it was no longer than his ears.

"What about Ella, after my grandmother?" Annabeth asked, her eyes shining as she carefully placed the baby into to her eager husband's arms. With Charles muscular build and hefty biceps, Ella looked even smaller than she actually was. Annabeth's heart almost burst with love as she gazed at her husband's loving reaction toward their new baby daughter.

"Perfect! What a splendid name for our splendid little girl!" Charles exclaimed as he held his daughter for the first time. He knew he would never forget this night, and as he looked into his daughter's face, he felt his heart lift in happiness.

* * *

Ella woke with a start as she heard the screams echoing down the hall. A wall of fear engulfed her as she threw off her covers and crept toward her bedroom door, shuddering as the screams got louder as more intense. She could soon make out the words the voice was screaming: _Please stop! It hurts! I can't take it, I'm sorry! I will do anything to make this stop! _

She timidly opened the door to the hall, and took a shaky step out of her room. She slowly slid along the wall, stopping every few feet to try and calm her racing heart. Goosebumps rose on her arms and legs, and she could not tell if it was because of her sheer nightdress and its lack of warmth or because of the screams echoing through the house. She soon came to the opening to the family living room, and the sight that greeted her almost tore the scream from her throat.

Her mother lay in the middle of the room, blood pooling around her as she screamed in immense pain. Her mother's night gown was in shreds surrounding her, and her legs lay at odd angles as she was completely exposed in the most inappropriate manner. Her deep red hair splaying around her head and her face held the marks of undergoing unbearable pain. A man in a dark hooded cloak stood over her, holding a black wand in his long spindly skeleton hands. His eyes were glowing with malice as he laughed a merciless laugh. His head lowered to her mother's and Ella could just make out his disgusting mouth as he bit his mother's neck. Her mother's cheeks were covered in blood and tears as she tried to raise her hands to push him away, but she had lost all of her strength to fit back. Ella could just barely see the light in her mother's eyes, and she could tell her will to fight was slowing draining.

"You always did like pitiful men, didn't you Annabeth? Well, now you have come to a pitiful end. I guess you regret your choice of choosing that filthy squib over me, now don't you?" The man said in the most evil voice Ella had ever heard. What was a squib? She thought her father just was a muggle, someone who was not blessed with magic. And what was this about her mother choosing someone over this evil man? Was that the reason why he had shamed and harmed her so?

"I will never regret choosing Charles over you. You are an evil man who was never worth my time." Ella's mother choked out, just as the horrid man stood, raising his black wand.

He shouted words that Ella did not understand, and green light filled the room as Ella heard her mother's scream for the last time. When the light faded Ella saw her mother moved no more, and she gasped in grief. Realizing she had made a sound that gave her existence away, she quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, but she was too late.

The man looked up sharply at the sudden noise and spotted the little girl. His eyes narrowed. _This must be the child Annabeth sired with the filthy squib, _the man thought to himself. He walked slowly towards her, and as he got closer he could see her visible shaking out of fear. She had long, dark red hair just like her mother, with bright blue eyes and pale skin also. _Let's hope she also inherited Annabeth's gifts with magic. _He laughed despite himself, and that caused the timid child to speak.

"Please don't hurt me mister. You have done enough to rip out my heart as you killed my mother." Ella said, hoping to sound stronger than she felt. In all honesty she wished she could punch the guy in the face, however it would not bring her mother back, so she decided not to.

The man laughed again. "I'm not going to hurt you girl. I only hurt people who wrong me, and your mother did just that. She hurt my heart, and I had to pay her back for that."

"My mother did not hurt your heart mister, I know that much. When someone truly hurts your heart you will be sad, but you will not have the cruelty to kill them because of it. If you truly loved my mother you would have let her go. But instead you took her life. She must have hurt your pride, and that is why you killed her." Ella stated, her eyes never leaving the man's waxy face as she watched her words sink into his thoughts.

"You are just as smart as your mother was," the man sighed._ I hope she got her kindness and compassion, too. It would break my heart to see her turn out like her father._ "And you have her beautiful eyes, and her fighting spirit. You will pry break many hearts little girl, but do not mess around with the wrong sort like your mother did. She believed that everyone has good in them, when they do not. Take me for example. She trusted me, and I killed her. Be careful of men like me child, and pray you don't end up like your mother over there." _If only he could tell her the real reason he sent Annabeth to the next life, but it would be much too complicated for a six-year old, even if she is smart. _And with that, he cast a long glance back at the dead body in the middle of the room. Ella could have sworn she saw a tear slide down the man's cheek just before his disappeared with a crack.


	2. A Pale Boy in the Meadow

A Pale Boy In The Meadow

Charles Rogers often worked odd hours, usually leaving right after dinner and coming home around four in the morning. His family thought it was just because his Ministry department had odd hours, but they didn't know the truth. If Annabeth knew, she would go absolutely crazy, and Ella was much too young to worry about her father's means of living. On his way home he usually stopped at the all night muggle connivance store to pick up a couple of things, so Annabeth didn't have to worry about grocery shopping unless she wanted to. Tonight, since he was about an hour later than usually, he decided to buy his family doughnuts, and his wife a bouquet of flowers. For some reason, seeing the flowers ring up on the cashier made his stomach drop. Even though the shop clerk was nice enough, and the flowers weren't overly expensive, he got a bad feeling. And he had no idea why.

Charles arrived home at about 5:30 in the morning, doughnuts and flowers in tow, but something still felt off to him. He hurried up to the steps of the small brick house in the middle of Godric's Hollow faster than he usually did, and when he opened the door to his house the doughnuts and flowers fell from his hands with a loud crash.

In the middle of his living room lay his Annabeth, covered in drying blood and tatters of her night dress. There were scratches and deep cuts all over her body, and her legs looked like they had been broken. Ella sat in the hallway, her arms around her knees and her head rested upon them as her long hair spilled over the top, obscuring any signs of her face. When hearing the crash from the doorway she immediately sprang up, deep fears in her eyes. When she saw it was her father, she ran to him with fresh tears rolling down her cheeks, her blue nightdress flapping around her ankles.

"Daddy! Daddy a bad man came and hurt mother, and now she is dead! I woke up to her screams and I was too scared to do anything, and he killed her! I'm so sorry daddy." She said as the calm demeanor she had when talking with the wretched man disappeared due to the hours spent crying herself to sleep.

"Did you see what the bad man looked like sweetheart?" Charles asked, barely able to keep his voice calm and keep his emotions at bay. _It had better not be Samuels, that man has been jealous since day one, _Charles thought angrily.

"He had skeleton hands and dull brown eyes, and a black hood that hid most of his face. That was all I was able to see, I'm so sorry." Ella said through her tears, before burying her face into her father's leg.

"It's alright Ella. It will be alright." That was all Charles was able to say, as his emotions took control and tears spilled down his face. He slid to the floor, and held Ella in his arms as the both wept for the loss of the woman they both loved with all of their hearts.

* * *

The next month was the craziest month Ella had ever experienced in her short six years of life. After the funeral was held, her father had decided that they needed to move right away. The house had too much to do with Annabeth, and he could not handle being in it without breaking down all over again. Charles knew that the last thing Ella needed was a blubbering mess of a father in one of the darkest times in her life. So, as much as he hated to do it, he relocated his broken family to a different house, far away from the little village they had previously been living in.

The new house was located on a huge property, with a forest on one side and the neighbor's land on the other. It was a large brick structure with loads of extra rooms, including two drawing rooms and four extra bedrooms. Ella's bedroom was twice as big as her old room, and she felt like the house was much too large. Why did her father need to buy a bigger house when their family had shrunk? It seemed quite silly to Ella, but she did not mention anything to her father, as it had enough on his mind already.

One thing that Ella liked about the new house was the fact it had practically a library, with huge shelves stalked with brand new books Charles had bought just for Ella. His reasons were that she needed to be distracted from missing her mother, which is what he told the family friends who happened to ask. What he didn't tell his friends was it really was because he was going to be working more, and he would be surprised if he came home two days in a row. Ella didn't need to know that though, and neither did his judgmental friends.

Ella adjusted quickly, as the child normally did in the face of change, but she was not happy about it. Charles even hired extra help to maintain the house in Annabeth's absence, and hired a nanny for Ella's lessons and day to day care. She loved her new nanny, Mrs. Jennings, who was a strict woman who always did her hair in a tight bun. She taught Ella with a firm hand, but after a couple of days with the child she realized firmness was not needed. Instead, she nurtured Ella' natural intellectual curiosity with countless new spells and potions, readings and writing exercises, and even began teaching her the proper decorum and manners of the high society purebloods. Even though she taught her everything she had ever wanted to know, Ella knew Mrs. Jennings could not provide the companionship that her friends back in the village had.

The girl had come accustomed to going out onto the grounds after her lessons, often looking to distract her from the grief inside her heart. She often ventured onto the neighbor's property, as she had no concept of land boundaries and what they meant. She just went wherever her feet would take her.

It happened on one of these excursions that she ventured farther into the neighbor's property then she had ever done before. As she was walking she came upon a small clearing, surround by trees that she had never known to be there. The sun shown through the branches, and flowers sprouted out of the ground. Ella smiled at the beautiful sight, and stopped to take in the beautiful scene of nature laid out before her. She breathed deeply as she made her way to the middle of the clearing, and sat down with her legs crossed and her eyes closed. Letting the serenity of nature calm her, she decided to sit there awhile, as her feet were killing her from the long walk she had taken.

Ella didn't realize she had fallen asleep until she was being poked quite rudely in the face. She opened her eyes to peer at her disturber and saw it was a small boy, around her age. He had gray eyes that had a warm blue tint to them and white blond hair that was slicked back from his face with; it seemed to Ella, with an inappropriately large amount of hair gel. He had a pale complexion that resembled hers, and his eyes had a friendly gleam, despite the arrogant scowl gracing his features at the moment.

"Who are you?" Ella asked without thinking, mentally kicking herself as soon as the word fell out of her mouth. _Great, now he is going to think me an unmannered savage that just blurts out rude questions without thinking, _Ella thought bitterly.

"I should be asking you that, since you are on my family's land without permission. What are you doing here anyway? If you wanted to take a nap I wouldn't think a meadow would be your first choice." The boy stated, his tone not harsh but not exactly friendly either.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize this was your family's land, I thought I was still on my father's property. As for the nap, I didn't intend on sleeping here, I was just planning on resting for a while. I didn't realize I had fallen asleep until you woke me up." Ella said, surprised that she had walked so far as to venture onto her neighbor's property. The fact she had trespassed was embarrassing enough, but now the owner's son had found her sleeping she felt she could die of embarrassment.

"Well, since you didn't know, I guess I won't tell my father about you trespassing. I am Draco Malfoy by the way. What is your name?" Draco said, careful not to give anything away, not sure if this girl was a muggle or not. He didn't want to expose wizarding kind to this girl, and even if she turned out to not be a muggle, he would rather be safe than sorry.

"My name is Ella Rogers. I just moved here about a week ago, so I guess we are neighbors now." Ella said smiling at the boy she had just met. _Maybe he doesn't think I am an ill-mannered baboon. He wouldn't still be talking to me if he did, Right? _

"Really? Well then it's good you met me first, because some of the other children around here are no fun to be around, as they are too stupid to even hold a proper conversation. How old are you Ella?" Draco said, excited to maybe be meeting a child his own age for the first time since he was forced to play with Vincent and Gregory. Not that they were bad guys or anything, he just tired of their unintelligent company and dumb games that went along with that. Ella sounded like she had been taking lessons, and her whole manner showed that she had also studied at least a little decorum and a lot of every other academic subject.

"I am five; I will be turning six in two months. How old are you?" Ella answered; glad she had met someone she could play with. He seemed like a nice enough boy, and it didn't matter if he wanted to play with dolls or swords, she would a least have someone her own age to talk to, and forget her grief in the progress.

"I turned six about three months ago. That means we are in the same year when it comes to school. And that also means we can play together. Do you want to?" Draco asked as a smile graced his face for the first time since Ella had met him. Actually, if he though about it, Draco realized he hadn't smiled in months. Was it because his father had been increasingly more distance, barely showing him any warmth since he turned four? Or was it because he no longer enjoyed his time studying Malfoy decorum and family history, and all he wanted to do was read his own books? Or maybe it was even the fact that he had come to hate his scheduled time with Vincent and Gregory, no matter how much his father stressed making an alliance with them would help him in the future. Draco didn't know why, but it sure felt good to feel a smile grace his features once more. _I don't care if she is a muggle, if she is fun to hang out with; I will most certainly hang out with her, _Draco thought, dispelling any previous worries of her blood status.

"Sure." Ella said, standing up and following Draco out of the meadow. _He must not be bad at all, since he wants me to play with him. I can tell he is on his guard though, I am curious as to why though. Is he harboring secrets? Or was he just reluctant to open up to new friends when they presented themselves? _Ella was defiantly curious, and she resolved she was going to find out all of Draco's secrets. Smiling to herself, she hurried her pace to catch up with the blonde, with all of her previous loneliness and grief gone.

**Author's Note: Sorry this chapter kind of sucked, I just needed to move on quickly from Ella's mother dieing…. I don't want to write depressing things forever! Thanks for reading! **

**Author's Other Note: This chapter was revised and lengthened on March 20****th****, 2014. Hope it adds more to the story! **


	3. The Tell-Tale Doll

The Tell-Tale Doll

Draco Malfoy had become quite accustomed to seeing Ella every day after his lessons got out. He adored her company, especially since she could carry out an actual intelligent conversation despite her young age. Plus she constituted a lot better company than Crabbe and Goyle, whom his father insisted he associate with. Even though he was still not sure if she contained magic or not, he was happy to be around her nonetheless, despite his father's beliefs on whom he should associate with.

Ella was so easy to talk to, not to mention she let him forget about the harsh manner of his household. Draco's father was a man who was very hard to please, especially since his expectations were too high for his six year old son. When Draco failed to meet his near impossible expectations, Lucius retaliated with violence. Sometimes it would just be a slap to the face, a harsh word, or no dinner, and other times it would be more severe. However, Ella never asked how Draco got the bruises on his body; she would just gently apply muggle medicine to his face and give him a bandage for his cuts. After that, she would let the subject drop, and treat him no differently.

On a normal day, Draco would take his time walking to the meadow where the children would meet, and Ella would usually be there waiting for him. He would find her with a book in her hand or a notebook that she was writing in, and every once in away he would find her asleep with her jacket as a pillow. She always was at peace when he found her, with a peaceful expression on her relaxed features. Some days he could see she truly was in gentle happiness, other days he knew it was just a mask. He ached to ask her what was wrong or to talk to him about it, but every time he tried to ask, Ella would swiftly change the subject to something insignificant. So he would let the matter drop, not wanting to upset her and send her away.

Today seemed to be no different, beside the fact that Draco took a quicker route to the meadow with a brisker pace than normal. He found Ella lying on her stomach with a doll in her hands. He could hear her talking to it, and the voice she was using for the doll's response seemed to Draco one that sounded like it was impossible for the girl to comfortably make. As he came closer, he could see that the doll was _moving on its own accord. _

_Could it be? Can she really be a witch? _Draco thought, becoming excited. _If she is then we really can continue to be friends, and father might even approve! _Draco thought gleefully.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked as he watched Ella jump, as she had not seen him approach. _Oh no! _Ella's thought screamed at her. _What if he finds out you are a witch? He will think you are a freak and you won't have a friend anymore! _

"Um, nothing. Just waiting for you of course." Ella said, forcing a smile and hiding the doll behind her back. Draco could clearly tell she was lying, but why? Did she think he was a muggle? _Oh gosh, if she thinks I am a muggle I will die of embarrassment! _

"I just saw that doll talking! You were making it move and talk all by itself! You can do magic, can't you Ella?" Draco said, hoping to hear her admit it. _She can't lie to me now; I saw it moving with my own two eyes! Why is she hiding this? _

"I don't know what you are talking about" Ella whispered, not meeting Draco's eyes. _He is going to call you a freak! He will tell all his friends about the freaky girl he saw talking to her doll! Unless you want to be known as a freak, you had better hide that doll! _Ella's insides had turned to ash, and she felt like she was going to faint. How could she let this happen? She should not have even brought the stupid bewitched doll, what did she think was going to happen?

"Its okay Ella, I know you are a witch, and guess what? That's so cool because I am a wizard! I can do magic too! Why didn't you tell me?" Draco said, patting her on the shoulder and sitting down in the grass next to her. When he noticed Ella's sweaty forehead and the look that was on her face he moved closer to her and gripped her shoulders gently. "Hey El, are you alright? You look like you are going to be sick."

"I didn't realize that you could do magic, and I thought that if I told you, you would think I am a freak. Or you would not want to be my friend anymore because of it." Ella said, trying to get her heart to calm down and her insides to stop fighting each other. When that didn't work, she laid down in the grass and closed her eyes, trying to breath deeply. Draco moved closer to her again, moving her head to rest in his lap instead of on the hard ground.

"Only a muggle would be like that, and I am the farthest thing from a muggle there can possibly be! Actually, I am a pureblood, and father says that purebloods are the best wizards out there. Anyone less than a pureblood is…mediocre compared to us." Draco said in an arrogant tone that Ella had never heard the boy use before. She wanted to question the pause in his statement, but she decided better of it. Her eyes were still closed, and she was afraid to open them again because she knew the world would be spinning if she did.

"Oh. Well…" Ella hesitated. _Should she say she is a half-blood? She would be if her father was a muggle, but he turned out to be a squib. Does that mean she is a pureblood also? But wouldn't Draco still look down on her if she told him her father was indeed a squib? _"I am a half-blood." Ella finally said, deciding not being a pureblood is better than having a squib for a father, no matter how much she loved him. _Thank God I have a good excuse to keep my eyes closed. I would not want to see the evident look of disgust grace Draco's features at knowing my true blood status. _

"Oh. Well I guess that is still okay, since half-bloods are still much better than muggles or mud-, muggle-borns I mean. As long as my father doesn't find out that you are a half-blood I should be able to continue to be around you." Draco said in an unsure tone, looking away from Ella. He was glad her eyes were closed, or else she might have seen the slip in his mask. _Why should I care if she is truly a half-blood? All the purebloods I know are rude and arrogant, and Ella isn't! I am going to continue to be friends with her, no matter what anyone says. _

"Does blood matter that much to you?" Ella said, opening her eyes and trying to hide the hurt in her voice. Draco had never acted like this before, why was it different now that he knew she could do magic? Did he believe she was truly inferior, just because of whom her parents were?

_Oh crap, she looks like she about to cry. _Draco thought. _What should I do? Tell her the truth about how I think or lie and keep her from crying? If I tell her the truth she might never want to be around me ever again… _"Of course not Ella, my dad just makes sort of a big deal about it. It doesn't matter that much to me." Draco said, forcing a smile. She was still pale from when she was close to fainting, and her head was still resting safely in Draco's lap. He could see the color staring to come back, even though her breathing was still slow and her eyes still looked pained. _Yep, _he thought to himself, _I definitely want to keep her as a friend. She has been the best one I have ever had, why would I give that up over something as stupid as blood status? My father would disagree, but honestly I don't care! _"Which one of your parents does magic?" He said, trying to change the subject as quickly as possible.

"My mother did magic." Ella said as the dreaded tears started to form in her eyes once again. _Don't tell him she just died a little over three months ago. Make up another date to tell him. And don't you dare cry! He will think you a wimp! _"She died when I was three years old," Ella said, once again avoiding Draco's gaze.

"Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss." Draco said, wishing he hadn't brought up the subject. _ Why do I always have to say the wrong things? Why couldn't my mother teach me how to talk to girls normally instead of always hold them on a pedestal? _Draco cursed in his thoughts. Sighing quietly and hoping Ella didn't hear, he took out his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped Ella's eyes as gently as he could. He then brushed the hair out of her eyes and slowly sat her up.

"Come on, I want to show you something." Draco said, grabbing her hand and pulling her to her feet. "This will for sure make you feel better," He said with a smile.

Ella had no choice but to follow Draco deeper into his family's property, but she was already feeling a little better. It was nice to have a friend who cared enough about how she was feeling to try and cheer her up. Draco led her though the forest that had surrounded the meadow they had been meeting in, and slowed after about five minutes.

They had come up to a stable of sorts, with white fences containing huge portions of grassy lands. There were horses grazing everywhere, all different breeds and sizes. The majority of the horses were muggle breeds, but there were some winged horses too.

"Wow!" Ella said, her eyes going wide with amazement. "They are so beautiful!"

Draco smiled. "That's not even the best part!" He said, pulling her through the entry gate. There was a sort of walkway with fenced in pastures on either side, and the walkway was paved with gravel. The pair walked down the walkway for some time until a huge, white barn came into view. The barn had green trimming and passageways for the horses to enter and exit the barn, as well as to travel from pasture to pasture. Draco opened the door to the barn to reveal rows upon rows of stalls, with charmed doors that opened at the nudge of the horse's nose that lived there. Not stopping to even look at the stalls, Draco took an immediate right and entered through another door. Behind this door held a sort of nursery, where in the middle held a baby horse.

Its wings were small and wet, hanging uselessly at its sides and rising and falling slightly with every breath the small creature took. Its coat was pure white, and its hooves were solid black. It turned its face to the door as soon as it opened, and once it caught sight of Draco it let out a whinny of excitement. With little difficulty the foal got to its feet and cantered over to where Draco stood with a stunned Ella behind him.

"Her name is Precious, and she was born about three days ago. Isn't she pretty?" Draco said, letting go of Ella's hand and putting it on Precious's nose. "Don't be afraid, she loves attention." Draco said, looking back at Ella who had not moved from the doorway. Slowly, she took small steps toward the baby horse, and reached out her hand and put it on the animal's nose.

Precious whinnied again and nudged Ella's hand playfully, and Ella laughed. "Do you think she likes me?" Ella said, smiling at Draco, her previous sadness forgotten.

"Of course she likes you Ella, everybody does!" Draco said, smiling back at her. _Crisis avoided! _Draco thought to himself. _Another day saved by the power of horses and a smart boy. _He laughed at his own joke, and again at the strange look Ella gave him. "What," he said, "I can't laugh with joy?"

"Of course you can laugh with joy, you are Draco Malfoy. And Draco Malfoy does whatever he wants!" Ella said in a teasing tone. That caused both children to burst out laughing, all tension and sadness completely dissolved.

**A/N: That will be the last chapter from Ella and Draco's childhood! The next one will be on the Hogwarts Express and Ella will be meeting other characters soon! Thanks for reading! **


	4. The Sorting

The Sorting

Ella stepped onto Platform 9 ¾ and looked around. There were so many people with so many trunks and animals it made her head spin. _I never thought there was this many wizards, _she thought to herself, _but then again father never really did expose me to the wizarding world. _Smiling at her own joke, Ella looked around for anyone familiar. Yep, it was official, the only wizard she knew was Draco, and he definitely was not an option.

He was still her best friend, and they still spent every afternoon together, at least until a week before school when Draco's father had found out about their friendship. They had been sitting under a tree on Draco's property discussing school houses when Lucius Malfoy came out looking for his son.

As soon as he saw Ella he questioned her about who she was, and more importantly, her blood status. As soon as she let it slip that she wasn't a pureblood Mr. Malfoy freaked out. His eyes grew wide and angry, and as he yelled and stomped around his hair became disheveled. He started screaming and throwing lawn furniture, surprising Ella that he did not hit Draco or herself with a chair or something. He ended up just "banning" Draco from ever talking to Ella again instead.

Ella didn't mind the tantrum or even the fact that Mr. Malfoy had banned Draco from seeing her, for she knew as soon as they got to Hogwarts that "ban" would be thrown out the window. The thing that bothered Ella the most was the image of Lucius slapping Draco across the face just as she was about the turn away and run. It had made quite the sickening sound and a thud as Draco hit the ground, and it broke her heart that for once, in the six years she had known him, she wasn't able to heal his wound.

* * *

Ella bolted into the first empty compartment on the Hogwarts Express that she saw, and sat closest to the window. She was about to close the door of the compartment with a small spell when a familiar blonde head appeared in the doorway.

"Mind if I sit here?" Draco said, hiding the bruise on his face by not making eye contact with his closest childhood friend. Instead, he looked around the compartment, and noted Ella's new book lying in her lap. Actually, if he thought about it, this was pry the fourth book she was starting since their last meeting a week ago, but he didn't want to think about the time they had spent apart.

Ella sighed and nodded, and as soon as he was seated she moved to sit next to him. "Let me see," Ella whispered, as she slowly took his chin in her head and turned Draco's face so that he was looking at her. His pale gray-blue eyes held sadness and an ounce of pain, but mostly just remorse.

Ella gasped, for the bruise was worse than she had thought Lucius was soberly possible of creating. It was dark purple, and it spread from just under Draco's left eye to the bridge of his nose, as it nearly consumed the whole left side of his face. Ella gently brushed her fingers along the purple skin, and noted Draco's wince.

"Ella…." Draco tried to start before Ella shushed him.

"Draco, I'm fine, really. Nothing your father says hurts me, and to tell you the truth I thought his tantrum was quite entertaining, besides the…physical part." Ella said, pulling out her wand and beginning to run it along Draco's face. Draco sat in silence as the bruise began to shrink, and he did not meet her eyes until the bruise was completely gone.

"You know I don't agree with my father on some things, and that includes the horrible things he said to you that day." Draco said, looking at Ella clearly for the first time he had entered the compartment. He noted her hair, which she had braided into one thick strand which spilled over her shoulder, the red tint catching the light and almost making it look like it was on fire. She was wearing jeans and a simple t-shirt with one of the muggle bands she had told Draco about all over it. She looked strangely mature for an eleven year old, but then again, she always did.

"I know Draco, if I thought you agreed with your father you would still have a magnificently purple face," Ella said smiling, "There is no need to apologize or try to make amends when no amends are needed, alright?"

"Alright." Draco said, starting to lighten up a bit, even though his shoulders still sagged. Ella noticed that his face looked a little thinner since she had seen him last, and he had dark circles under his eyes, like he hadn't slept much in the week they had not seen each other. Sighing, she patted him on the shoulder, hoping he would take it as an "its okay now" gesture without words.

The rest of the ride over to Hogwarts consisted of the two discussing things like classes and grades, along with which house they would be in. Draco knew there wasn't a chance that Ella would be sorted into Slytherin like he was bound to be, but he hoped against hope it wouldn't be Gryffindor.

"Do you think you will be put into Gryffindor Ella?" Draco said, wanting to get her view of the situation.

Ella giggled, "Of course not! I am nowhere close to being brave, as you know Draco. But I'm not a total coward like you…" She said in a teasing tone. "I would think my best bet would be Ravenclaw, which is the house that I hope to be in. That was also the house my mother was in…" Ella said, trailing off at the mention of her mother.

"Hey now, no being sad on the first day! And honestly I hope you get into Ravenclaw or Slytherin, since those are the best two houses in my opinion," Draco said smirking. _I could live with her being in Ravenclaw, _Draco thought as he looked at his friend.

"You are only saying that because you know you will be in Slytherin!" Ella said nudging him with her elbow playfully. _Too bad I have a zero chance of being in Slytherin. It would be fun to share a house with him, _Ella thought.

"Maybe I am and maybe I'm not. Either way, we had better get changed, we are almost there," Draco said, standing up and stretching. "I will go to the bathroom and change, you can change here."

"Alright, but don't take too long, I want to show you my new book before we get to the castle." Ella said in reply, already getting her robes out of her bag.

* * *

"SLYTHERIN!" Draco sighed as Professor McGonagall took the Sorting hat off of his head and he began to make his way towards his new house. _Who was I kidding? _He thought miserably, _of course I would be in the same house my parents were. Does this mean I really am like my father? Am I destined to be as cruel and awful as he is? And am I destined to marry a kind hearted witch like my mother, yet ruin her with my allegiance with a dark wizard? _Draco frowned as he sat down next to Blaise, one of his other childhood friends. At least the one his father actually approved of anyway….

"Rogers, Ella!" Draco heard McGonagall announce, and he winced. _Please not Gryffindor! _He thought to himself over and over again.

"Hmmm where should I put you, girl? You are quite brave and loyal, and your ambition and cunningness is quite apparent also… Hmmm but you definitely are the smartest witch I have seen in this class so far… Alright, then it must be RAVENCLAW!" The Sorting Hat shouted after musing in Ella's ear for what felt like forever.

Smiling, Ella practically skipped to her new table and sat down. _Just the house I wanted! And Draco said he wouldn't complain about Ravenclaw, only about Gryffindor. _Ella glanced over at the Slytherin table to see if Draco had noticed, but her heart sank as soon as she caught sight of Draco. He had his head resting in the palm of his hand, and she could tell he was unhappy. _I wonder why he isn't smiling… Oh well, I will ask him when I get the chance. _Ella decided, turning to her new housemates and joining in their conversation of muggle sciences.

**A/N: I tried a more relaxed writing style this time, so I hope it doesn't sound as stiff. Thanks for reading! **


	5. Flying Free

Flying Free

Ella absolutely was in love with Hogwarts. She loved the classes, the teachers, and even most of the students. She loved hanging out in the Ravenclaw common room and reading hundreds of books in the library. She had fallen in love with the school, and it has only been about a month!

Ella had gotten herself in the routine that she ate breakfast either in the Great Hall with her housemates or in a spare room with Draco, lunch in the library usually by herself, and then dinner with her house. She quickly excelled at making friends, and everyone she met seemed to love her.

One day she had just finished her lunch in the library and had extra time to start her Charms essay that Professor Flitwick had just assigned them that morning. She didn't notice anyone enter the library until the girl came right up to her table and cleared her throat.

"May I sit here?" The girl asked, making direct eye contact. The girl had bushy brown hair and bright eyes, with ink stains on her hands that made it obvious she just finished writing a huge report or essay. She was small, with a clear complexion and she reminded Ella of a mouse.

"Of course! Here, let me move my things." Ella said with a smile, waving her hands and watching as the books that were previously sitting on her table stacked themselves neatly and landed in a pile next to her feet. "My name is Ella by the way; I am a first year in Ravenclaw house."

"Oh, my name is Hermione, and I am also a first year in Gryffindor house. Where did you learn a spell like that in our first year?" Hermione said, sitting her books on the table and taking the seat next to Ella. Hermione seemed genuinely eager to hear about Ella's skills, an aptly leaned forward to listen better.

"My nanny gave me a book with household spells like that, and most of them are wandless," Ella said smiling, "Do you want to see it?"

"Sure! And then after that we should start on that charms essay, yes?" Hermione said cheerfully, easily relaxing in this friendly girl's company. _I like this girl,_ Hermione thought to herself, _a lot better than Ron and Harry. _

"That was my plan!" Ella said gleefully, glad her new acquaintance had the same work ethic as she did.

* * *

"Draco! Don't be like this! Hermione is my friend, and unlike you and your family, her blood status doesn't bother me!" Ella said, her face growing red with the lack of communication Draco was giving her at the moment. He had been distant and grumpy lately, and when they spent time together he was oddly quiet and cryptic. His odd behavior was greatly bothering Ella, and she could no longer stand it. So, when she had spotted Draco from behind in the hall, she thought that now was as good a time as any to confront him. So far, it was not showing to be successful.

"That's not what I meant El, I just meant…" Draco said whirling around to face his friend. Ella gasped at the sight of Draco's face as the glamour charm he had applied this morning began to wear off.

"Did he find out?" Ella whispered as Draco tried to hide his face from her.

"No, he was drunk and I happened to be in close proximity." Draco said, hanging his head as Ella grabbed his wrist.

"Come on, let me fix it. And just for the record, Hermione is not replacing you. Its different, she is my best female friend, and you are my best male friend. I'm sorry you felt left out, I just didn't want to give your pureblood friends the wrong message." Ella said as she lead Draco into a spare classroom off the hallway they had just been arguing in.

"I don't care what they say; they aren't really my friends, besides Blaise, of course." Draco said, looking straight ahead and not letting any emotion show on his features. Ella noted that his skin looked sort of glassy, like he hadn't lately been taking care of it, and it alarmed her to realize his face had retained the same skinniness that she had noticed back on the train.

Ella sighed. At least Draco still had her, for without her friendship it was obvious he was slowly falling apart. She had thought being away for the holidays would refresh him and ease the pain of his back stabbing friends, but apparently it only made it worse. Ella made a silent vow to herself that she would spend more time with Draco, even if it meant sacrificing time with Hermione or studying time. She was going to make sure he knew he was wanted, no matter the cost.

"Oh come on Draco, don't be so upset. Aren't all stuck up purebloods backstabbers too? Good thing you aren't stuck up, or else I would not want to hang out with you." Ella said, trying to lighten the mood.

Draco didn't answer, only sitting down on a desk in the room they had entered and quickly looking away. Ella could tell he was really upset, his body was tense and his shoulders were rigid, and he practically radiated anger.

"Draco…" Ella said, taking his chin and gently forcing him to look at her. When she saw his eyes she knew he wasn't angry, he just felt upset and he was experiencing great pain. "It will get better, I promise. Now, let me heal you really quick and then we can go for a walk or something." Ella said as she mumbled the spell and watched Draco's bruise disappear.

"Actually, do you want to go flying?" Draco said, hoping she said yes. He always felt better when he flew, and Ella seemed to sense this.

"Sure, why not?" Ella said against her better judgment. She was not great on a broom yet, but she knew that Draco had flown practically all of his life. She was hopefully in good hands, despite her misgivings.

* * *

Draco felt like he could do no wrong, and it was the best he had felt since he had started Hogwarts. His father had talked the teachers into allowing him to have his broom at school with him, even though first years were technically forbidden. He often took the broom out to fly at night when he wanted solitude, but today was different.

Ella sat behind him on the broom, her arms wrapped around his waist and her head resting on his back. And man, it was the best feeling in the world. His thoughts were clear, and he loved the feeling of wind on his face along with the closeness of his best friend.

_Wait, Is Ella still my best friend? _ He thought to himself. _Or is she becoming something else? _

The sudden change in his thoughts startled Draco, but he pushed it aside. He would have to ponder that later, because right now he wanted to cherish this amazing moment in the sky.

**A/N: Sorry for skipping around, but the real story doesn't start until third year. So I'm just going to add little snippets until I get there. Thanks for reading. **


	6. Will You Write?

Will You Write?

Truthfully, Ella didn't want to leave. Don't get her wrong, she adored summer, with its sunny days and long nights, perfect for reading on the porch as the sun sets, but she was desperately going to miss the castle that had been her home for the past year. Not to mention she was going to miss the company of her peers, since Draco would be forbidden to visit her, Hermione would be with her muggle parents, and the rest of her friends would be off doing their own activities. The only thing Ella knew for certain was that it was going to be a lonely summer, with her dad never home and Mrs. Jennings busy with taking care of the house and what not.

Ella sighed, finally finishing packing her things for the train ride home. _Oh well, _Ella thought to herself, _Maybe I can finally start writing that novel I always wanted to do. _Smiling, she knew for certain she would write this summer, just not exactly a novel. She would also read tons, but she did that anyway.

Ella plastered on a smile as she descended the stairs into the Ravenclaw common room, and sat next to fellow first-year Edward on the blue couch next to the fire place. There was no fire, as it was too hot for that, but it still provided a warm feeling in Ella's heart as she thought of the many nights she sat with her friends near here.

"Hey Ella, are you excited for break?" Edward said, smiling at her. He had bright brown eyes and an open face, which was almost always lit up with a mischievous smile. He had jet black hair and was well built with sturdy shoulders and thick arms.

"I guess so, are you?" Ella said, giggling as another first year, John, sat on Edward's lap, much to the boy's displeasure. John contrasted Edward in almost every way, from his bright green eyes and lanky structure, with shaggy blonde hair that most often feel in front of his face.

"I am going to have an awesome summer, thank you Ella." John said, clapping his hand over Edward's mouth before he could reply. "I will write to you, if you write to me. And of course, Edward would _love _if you wrote to him too." John said, laughing at Edward's blush. Of the pair, Edward was definitely the most reserved, while John was the boisterous jokester. Despite their obvious differences, however, the two boys were inseparable and one would often see them doing everything together, from eating to getting into trouble.

"Of course I will write to you two, just to make sure you stay out of trouble." Ella said, laughing at the two boys' antics.

"You will also write to your favorite roommate, right El?" Catherine said, exiting the room the two girls shared together. Catherine was a slight girl with dirty blonde hair, and bright green eyes, like John's. Actually, John and Catherine had were twins—fraternal of course.

"Of course Catherine and we are still on for raiding the library, right?" Ella said smiling. _Maybe this summer won't be as bad as I thought. _

And with that, the two girls linked arms and made their way down to the Great Hall for the last breakfast of the year. The rest of Ella's housemates followed suit, and soon the Ravenclaw table was filled with boisterous conversations of summer plans and excited remarks for the vacation.

* * *

"Have a good summer Hermione! You promise to write, right?" Ella said, hugging her friend.

"Yes, if you remember to write back!" Hermione said giggling, "And make sure you recommend some good reads, okay? I don't want my brains to rot this summer."

"With your amazing brain, I would be quite surprised if it rotted." Ella said, smiling. The smile dropped as soon as she spotted a black haired boy and a red head coming up behind Hermione, but Ella quickly hid her reaction with a yawn and then a returning smile.

"Ron and Harry, I hope you guys also have a good summer." Ella said through her fake smile. From what Draco has told her about these two, she did not like them at all. However, since she did not know them well, she might as well play nice at the current time. _A concept Draco fails at, _she thought, _he needs to learn how to be diplomatic, even to imbeciles. _

"Thanks Ella, you too!" Harry said, a little too enthusiastic for Ella's taste, but maybe she was just jaded. Ron simply nodded and smiled. _Not too bright that one, is he? Hmm, but I won't judge, he is still only 11. _

Ella then spotted just the person she was looking for in the crowd, and bid farewell to the golden trio. As soon as she drew closer, she could see the blatant smirk already placed upon Draco's face.

"I hope you know I take pride in the fact that you just ditched the Potter gang for my company." Draco said, taking Ella's bag from her. "I assume you are sitting with me on the train? I hope so, since that is the only way I am carrying this."

"Of course I am sitting with you on the train," Ella said, smirking back at him, "So you are stuck carrying my bag."

With that the pair began the walk to the train, falling easily in step with each other and a comfortable silence enveloping them. _You should ask him. _Ella thought to herself. Sighing, she resolved to ask him on the train, when no one would overhear, for Draco's sake.

The two climbed on to the train and easily found an empty compartment, which Draco promptly locked as soon as Ella sat down. In response to her raised eyebrows, he mumbled something about wanting privacy from his fellow Slytherins. He then sat down next to Ella, placing his hands behind his head and closing his eyes.

"You aren't going to take an actual nap, are you?" Ella said, with a skeptical look on her face. Draco never did well with sleep, let alone on a constantly rocking, speeding hunk of metal that they were currently seated in.

"Maybe I will, and maybe I won't. What does it matter? It will pry be the last peaceful nights' rest I will have in a while, why not take advantage of it?" Draco said in a measured tone without opening his eyes. He could feel Ella's eyes on him, but he made a point of acting like it was nothing. She only did this when she had to talk to him about something "important," and frankly Draco had too little in his stomach and too much pain in his head to deal with doing much of anything besides sleeping.

"Fine, but can I ask you something before you fall asleep?" Ella said, looking out the window instead of meeting Draco's eyes. _I knew it, this doesn't sound good. _Draco thought to himself.

"Sure, what is it?" Draco said as he opened his eyes. He didn't like the unsure tone of Ella's voice, and he wondered what she was holding back. He hoped he hadn't upset her lately.

"Will you write to me this summer? I would ask you to visit, but I know your father banned you from seeing me… At least can you try to keep in touch? Unless you don't want to, then I completely understand…" Ella said, trailing off. She had sadness in her voice that bothered Draco deeply, and he had never heard her be so shy around him before. Ever since they were children they had always been comfortable around each other, keeping their answers and conversations completely open and void of lies or discomfort. Somehow, Draco could feel with dismay, that was soon to change, and he could already feel the difference. Draco inhaled deeply, then let it out in the form of a sigh.

"Ella, do you seriously believe that I am going to follow my father's rules? Of course I will write to you, that is a given. And I will sneak out and visit you as often as I can. Your dad won't mind, right?" Draco said, taking Ella's face in his hands and turning her so that she was looking at him. Not waiting for an answer, he said "Now smile girl, or else I won't have a very peaceful nap."

Ella smiled, and Draco could see all of the worry leave her face. "That's better." He said, smiling and letting go of her face before placing his hands once again behind his head and closing his eyes.

"Thanks Draco." Ella said, just before he fell asleep. Draco drifted off after that, with a smile on his face and warmth in his heart.

* * *

"Mrs. Jennings, are you home?" Ella said as she walked into the too big house she had called home for the past five years. She lightly set her current book down on the couch in the sitting room and proceeded to drag her trunk up stairs to her bedroom. Disturbed when she hadn't received an answer, Ella called again: "Mrs. Jennings! Where are you?"

The nanny scurried out of her room just down the hall from Ella's at the second mention of her name, but her eyes grew huge when she saw who had been calling her. Mrs. Jennings had always been a stout woman, with long brown hair that she kept tightly braided and in a bun at all times. Her face was taunt and stern, but her eyes were kind and her laugh genuine. She had a habit of always wearing a coat, no matter the temperature, but the cloak she had around her was not one Ella ever saw her wear in the house. She was wearing her traveling cloak, and was holding the duffel bag that Ella knew she kept all of her possessions in.

"Ella! I didn't realize you would be home so soon…" Mrs. Jennings trailed off, looking everywhere but at Ella. _This does not look good at all, _Ella thought in dismay.

"Mrs. Jennings, what is wrong? Why are you wearing your traveling cloak and carrying your luggage? Did my father fire you?" Ella said, trying to keep the panic from her voice.

"Ella dear, your father did not fire me, I am quitting. Please don't take it personally, I just… found out some things about your father. Things that you are still too young to know about, but they disturbed me greatly, and I cannot work for a man like that. I'm so sorry, Ella dear." Mrs. Jennings said, pushing past Ella and stomping down the stairs, a stern frown set on her features.

"I got you two house elves for the housework and the cooking, and they can also keep you company if you would like." Mrs. Jennings said, quickly summoning the elves. "This is Cherry and this is Bertie. They are brother and sister, and quite faithful. I wish you the best my dear Ella. I will write to you, if you would like."

Ella tried desperately to hold back her tears as her substitute mother began to walk out of her life. "No. Do not write me. One thing I will not stand is fake affection and empathy from someone whom I used to love. No, if you cannot look past whatever my father did and decided to leave instead, then I guess you never really cared for me." Ella said, her voice cold and void of all emotion.

"Ella, it's not like that…" Mrs. Jennings began, but seeing as Ella had already turned away, she decided it wasn't worth trying to explain. "I really am sorry Ella." Those were the last words Ella would ever hear Mrs. Jennings say. As she walked out the door, she took one more look back to Ella, but the girl had already turned away and made her way back to her room.

Mrs. Jennings sighed and closed the door behind her. She made her way to the edge of the driveway, but was stopped cold by the sight of Ella's father walking up to the house.

"Where are you going Mrs. Jennings? You are not leaving, are you?" Charles Rogers said, his voice calm but cold.

"Yes Mr. Rogers, I am leaving. I cannot work for a man like you, after what I found out about your means of employment. I am sorry." She said, beginning to walk past him. She was stopped when Mr. Rogers grabbed her wrist hard.

"Ella was upset, wasn't she?" Mr. Rogers said in a harsh whisper.

"Yes, but" Mrs. Jennings began, before being cut off by a knife at her throat.

"This was a bad choice on your part Mrs. Jennings. You have left me no choice." Mr. Rogers said, just as he drove the knife straight through her neck and watched as her head rolled away from her body. He shook his head and took out his wand. _And here they thought I was a squib. Well, good thing that ritual gave me back my magic. Too bad its much more fun killing with a knife than with a wand, _Mr. Rogers thought as he watched Mrs. Jennings's body disappear from the sidewalk. _Now, I must go comfort Ella. Let's hope the hag didn't say much about my lifestyle. _

And with that Mr. Rogers made his way up to the house with slow and measured steps, and smile gracing his face as he walked through the door. "Ella!" He called, closing the door behind him. Nodding at the two elves still standing where Mrs. Jennings had left them, he gave them each a pat on the head and whispered to them to start cleaning the house. Just as they popped out of sight, Ella came down the stairs.

"Father?" Ella said, wiping the tears from her face as she walked down the stairs. As soon as she saw her father she ran to him, and snuggled into his chest as he hugged her. "Father, Mrs. Jennings just quit. What are we going to do without her?"

"I'm sure we will manage Ella. We have the house elves she left, and you have your books to teach you things. See? We will be just fine, you and me." Mr. Rogers said smiling and hugging Ella. "Did she say why she quit?"

"No father, she just said she couldn't work here anymore." Ella said, deciding to leave out the part about that it was her father's actions that drove her away.

"Oh well, it is her loss. Now, how about some dinner? We can go to your favorite muggle restaurant down the street." Mr. Rogers said smiling at his daughter. _Thank God that the hag had brains and didn't say anything to Ella. I don't want her to hate me just yet. We have another couple of years before that starts. _

**Author's Note: Wow, that was sort of a long chapter. Sorry it got quite dark at the end, but it had to happen. Thanks for reading! **


	7. A Peaceful Night's Rest

**Author's Note: Warning! All of the previous chapters leading up to this have been lengthened (slightly) and revised, so you may want to go back and re-read. Sorry editing took so long on this one! I wasn't completely sure what I wanted to happen…. And again, sorry for the skipping around, the story is going to start picking up soon. I promise! **

A Peaceful Night's Rest

_Plink_

_What was that?_ Ella thought to herself as she groggily sat up in her bed. _Maybe It is just father making an awful lot of noise? _She decided to go back to sleep, since her father had not actually been home for the past week. _My mind is just playing tricks on me. _

_Plink, Plink, Plink_

_Alright, that is definitely not my father. Then it must be someone else? _Ella sighed. She hated dealing with intruders, especially muggle ones. All they wanted to do was steal some of the nice antiques her father filled the house with, and all they left with was a nasty bruise or two from where they were punched in the face. If they were lucky they would only be sore from where a stunning curse hit them and they fell, but often times Ella just fell like taking out her annoyance in a more physical manner.

Sighing, she grabbed her wand, which was lying on her bed side table next to her alarm clock, and noted that it was 3 am. She quickly tightened the ponytail her long read hair was in, and grabbed a shirt from the closet, since she rarely slept in anything but shorts and a sports bra in the summer. Then she lazily crossed her room to the window. Usually, she could see the whole driveway and front of the property, from the mailbox all the way to the gate in front of the walkway to the front door, plus the grassy front yard. Presently, all she was looking for was the face of an intruder, but instead she got the face of Draco Malfoy, staring up at her window and aiming another pebble at its surface.

She quickly opened the window and whispered down, "What are you doing here? What if my father sees or even worse, what if your father sees?" Ella had no idea why Draco was even here. It was the summer before their third year at Hogwarts, and he was still technically banned from interacting with her. The summer after first year was bearable with only his letters to go by, and they had even stayed in the school during the holidays together during their second year. Yes, they were still best friends, but lately Draco had been acting different around Ella, and she wasn't sure why. It wasn't something to worry herself over, she decided. _Just Draco being Draco, _she mused as she waited for the response he gave from the ground.

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your golden hair! Or cast a spell, that would be nice too, since I left my wand at home." Draco said with a cocky grin up in her direction. Ella couldn't help but smile at Draco's lame reference to the tale of Rapunzel, a muggle fairytale that Ella had let Draco borrow over the summer to break up the monotony of his studies and his father's rants.

Ella quickly cast a levitation spell on Draco, and watched as he soared quietly up to her second floor bedroom. When he reached the windowsill, she grabbed his pale wrists and pulled him through it. There was some groaning on Ella's part, but other than that Draco came to a smooth, face-first landing onto Ella's plush blue carpeted floors. He sat back and grinned stupidly at her. Ella could tell he had grown over the summer, and he would be a good head and then some over her now. He had stopped slicking his hair back with gel, and instead let his white blonde hair hang naturally straight around his ears, with a part in the middle to keep the hair out of his eyes.

"You didn't answer my question Draco. What are you doing here and what is your plan if your father finds out you came here?" Ella said, sitting down on the floor across from Draco. He then promptly moved to sit right next to her and then smirked at her annoyed expression.

"I couldn't sleep, and I thought what better to do than visit my good friend Ella? Besides, she has nothing better to do at three in the morning, right?" Draco grinned, while Ella shoved him on the shoulder. "And my father won't find out because he was drunk last night, and he hardly wakes up before eleven the next morning when that happens. So I think it was worth the risk. Plus, on top of that, I need some new books." Draco said this as he took out the five books Ella had given him to read two weeks ago, at their last secret meeting when Draco's father was away on business.

"I'm glad you thought through this so well." Ella said, sticking her tongue out at Draco. Grabbing the books he had brought, she swiftly stood up from the floor and made her way out of her room. Since her mother had died, Ella's father had begun to foster Ella's natural love for reading by doting on her with many books. The house they had moved into after her mother's funeral held its own semi-stocked library, and since then Ella's father had books shipped in weekly for Ella to read and then store in the library. Ella appreciated her father's spoiling, but it did not make up for his long absences from her life. During the summer, the current one especially, he would go away to "work" (or so he said) and then would not show up again until weeks later. During the school year, Ella wasn't even sure if he came home, and he rarely wrote to check on her.

Draco knew all of this, of course. Ella had only talked about it in her most depressed and vulnerable state, and that was often the only glimpses Draco saw of her weaker side. She hid it so well that he often forgot it was there, but every time he saw a break in her smile or a sad gleam in her eyes he had a small idea of what was going through her mind. Those were the times he would pull out some lame joke or work extra hard to make sure she was having a fun time. Draco tried super hard on days like that to be whatever Ella needed, be it a listening ear or a shoulder to lean on, just like she had done for him when he had troubles with his father.

Lately, however, Ella was seeing less and less of Draco's bruises or hurt expressions. He had learned some healing spells himself, and he often would perform them so as Ella would not see his injuries. Its not that he no longer trusted her, she had been performing them since she was nine. It was the fact that Ella had somehow become different to Draco. She was still his best friend, and she would always be, it's just that fact he kept feeling weird around her and noticing weird things. For example, one day they had been hanging out in her room with the window open and the sun shining through, and he couldn't help but notice how pretty she looked with sunshine gleaming on her hair. Who notices that about their best friend? No one, as far as Draco was concerned, so he tried to "act normal," but he had no idea what that was like anymore. Every time he was around Ella he just felt happier, not to mention his stomach did flips when she smiled at him. It had gotten quite distracting, so often times Ella would catch him staring or not even listening to what she was saying.

"Draco? Draco, were you even listening? I asked you how many books you wanted this time." Ella said, her voice exasperated and Draco could tell she was getting quite annoyed. _I seriously need to stop zoning out, or else Ella is going to un-friend me, if she has the guts. _Smirking at his inner thoughts, he answered that he wanted eight new books.

Draco then proceeded to easily lift Ella up onto his shoulders, earning a skipped heart beat from his insides, when she was reaching for a shelf she could obviously not reach. _He really did grow a lot, _Ella thought to herself as she grabbed the book she had been trying to reach. Draco, being the jerk he sometimes was, moved quickly away from the bookshelf and caused Ella to fall. He was prepared though, for as soon as she reached near the ground he scooped her up into his arms, catching her just before she made impact.

"I could seriously punch you in the face right now, but I won't because I am nice." Ella said, and then promptly hit Draco over the head with the book she had just grabbed when he snorted at her statement. "Now put me down!"

Once she had remade contact with the ground, Ella began to search the rest of the shelves for other books she thought Draco would enjoy. She grabbed muggle books ranging from _Gulliver's Travels _to _Cinderella_, stopping when she felt she had sufficiently picked enough books for Draco's liking.

Draco then followed her back to her room, and frowned when she handed him the books and pointed at the window. "What? You said you wanted new books, and there you go. Now I would actually like some sleep." She said, trying to keep the tired annoyance out of her voice as best she could.

"I thought we could hang out though," Draco said, turning serious for the first time since he had shown up outside of her window. "I noticed your father hasn't been home since before our last meeting, and I wanted to try and keep you company." His eyes looked to her hopefully, and his words made her heart melt. Even on his most annoying and obnoxious days, Draco had a good heart, and he always seemed to try and make her feel better.

Sighing, she plopped down onto the couch that sat in front of the wall opposite her bed and farthest away from the window. "Alright, but don't expect much conversation out of me, I really am quite tired."

"That's alright," Draco said, a smiling gracing his features as he sat down next to Ella on the couch. "I could just read you one of these books. Will that make you feel better?"

Not waiting for Ella's answer, Draco began to read _Cinderella_ out loud to his friend. He was halfway through the story when he felt a sudden weight on his shoulder, and when he looked over he saw Ella had fallen asleep. Her eyes were closed and her face was peaceful as her head lay on Draco's shoulder, in a position he was sure would mean a sore neck in the morning.

Sighing and closing the book, he readjusted himself on the couch to where he was lying on his back, stretched out across the whole surface, and his head was propped up on one of the armrests at the end. Taking car as to not jostle Ella too much to cause her to wake up, he grabbed a couch pillow and stuck it behind his head. He then gently moved Ella to where she was lying on top of him, using his chest as a pillow. Moving her hair out of her eyes and looking at her peaceful curled up form against his, he could not help but let one of his previous thoughts surface in his mind: _She really is beautiful. _

With that thought circling around in his head, he wrapped his arms gently around her figure, and shut his eyes. The two lay like this until morning, each getting the first peaceful nights sleep they had seen in a very long time.


	8. A Depressing Train Ride

A Depressing Train Ride

"Look Hermione! We get to learn about different cures for poisons this year in potions!" Ella exclaimed as she flipped the pages of their year three textbook. She was quickly regretting sitting with the golden trio instead of Draco on the ride to Hogwarts, because they were awfully boring and quiet. Ella was sure that her presence was a nuisance to the two boys, but she felt like it was too late to switch seats now. Especially since Draco was pry sitting with his Slytherin "friends" and Ella did not want to walk in on that lot. So, she was reduced to looking through textbooks and trying to get Hermione to talk to her instead of just staring out of the window.

When Hermione just smiled and feigned excitement Ella knew it was time to stop. So she put her potions textbook away and curled up in the corner, grabbing her newest book out of her bag and opening it. She spent at least thirty minutes trying to ignore the three others' whispers and glances in her direction, and she would have continued trying to ignore them if she hadn't felt the chill.

Goosebumps sprang onto her arms and legs, and her teeth began to chatter. Suddenly the cabin was too small and too cold for her, as she tried to keep the warmth inside of her body by rubbing her hand together and over her arms. She had no idea why it was cold all of a sudden, but she could tell by the others' faces and the frost on the window that it wasn't just her imagination.

Suddenly in the doorway there appeared a huge, black shape. It opened the door with long spindly skeleton fingers and came into the compartment. Ella could just make out a gaping mouth behind the hood of its black fraying cloak, and as it came closer her heart filled with dread. She then heard a scream from somewhere in the compartment and a thud. She looked over and saw that Harry had hit the ground, unconscious. She slowly turned back to the horrid creature, but instead all she could see was her mother's dead body.

Ella squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the image, but as soon as her eyes closed it only became clearer. She wanted to cry and scream, but she did not utter a word. And then just like that it was over, for a bright flashing light came into the room. Ella opened her eyes to see the sleeping professor who had been doormat before had awoken, and was shooting a spell at the monster as it receded back into the corridor.

Once the beast left she realized that she could not stop shaking. She wanted to say something to the others in the compartment, ask for some reassurance of any kind, but no one was even paying attention to her. Not even the professor noticed her distressed expression, as he went about the task of waking up Harry from the ground. Even Hermione paid her no attention, as she was too preoccupied comforting Ron and watching the professor try and wake Harry.

Ella's heart felt like bursting and she still had her mother's body imprinted in her mind, and she was about to break when she saw a familiar face pop into the compartment doorway.

"Ella! Are you alright? You are as white as a ghost!" Draco said, crossing quickly to her side and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "You are as cold as a ghost too!"

Draco's face was full of worry as he embraced his friend, and his body heat was little help in chasing her chills away. Realizing this, Draco shed his jacket and wrapped it around Ella's shoulders. His features turned from worry to anger in an instance, and recognizing this, Ella quietly shied away from her friend.

However, his anger was obviously not meant for her, as he once again quickly wrapped her in his arms once again. Ella could feel his heart racing with angry adrenaline in his chest, and she could feel it rising as he took a deep breath.

"Hello? Anybody home in this damn compartment? You all should be ashamed of yourselves! Ella is freezing and shaking over here, completely distressed, and all of you are too busy with Potter to even notice! Is her life not as important as his? Even you professor, all you can focus on is damn Potter! Don't you have a responsibility to take care of ALL students, not just famous ones? And you, Granger! You are supposed to be her close friend, and you didn't even look her way? You Gryffindors pride yourselves on kindness, but you don't even show it outside of your own house? You all make me sick!" Draco took a deep breath after yelling all of that at the others in the compartment, and then glared at their shocked expressions.

Hugging Ella closer to him he stood, dragging Ella (as gently as he could) up with him. "Come on Ella, you don't need to be with filth that doesn't care about you anymore." And with that, he carefully led Ella out of the compartment, leaving an unbreakable and uncomfortable silence behind.

Draco led Ella back to his compartment, which she was surprised to find was empty. "You didn't sit with the other Slytherins?" Ella asked, slowly feeling worse and worse.

"No, I didn't want their company, and I was waiting for you anyway. I didn't want you to come in and feel unwelcome because of their presence." Draco said, sitting down and pulling Ella down next to him.

"But I didn't come and sit with you because I thought you would be sitting with your Slytherins. Oh Draco, I am so sorry." Ella said, feeling her heart sink. She couldn't hold the sadness at bay anymore, as she burst out crying. Tears filled her vision and her shoulders shook with sobs. _I am such an awful friend for abandoning Draco, I should just die. _At that thought she cried harder. She hadn't had suicidal thoughts like that since the summer before her second year, and she thought she had rid herself of them for good after reading a book on how to fix it. _I was wrong. These thoughts will never leave, probably because most of them are true. _Ella stop! She tried to think to herself, but it did not work, so she cried harder. Her whole body seemed to shake with sobs and she had no way of stopping them.

Draco had no idea what to do. Ella wasn't responding to any of his words, and from the looks of it, she wasn't even hearing him speak. He had no idea what would cause her to break down like this, and this was even the first time he had ever seen her cry before. _Maybe it's an effect of the Dementor? But if so, why isn't anyone else this deeply effected? But she did see her mother die. Plus she is pry feeling guilty about me sitting alone. Oh gosh! What am I going to do, she sounds awful!_ Draco thought to himself. But before he could think of a logical explanation he decided it was time to act, before Ella drowned herself in her own tears.

Without warning or even a conscious though, Draco embraced Ella, scooting closer to her and pressing her face into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her back. He could feel her body still shaking, from the cold or the tears he wasn't sure, but he didn't let go. Instead he began to slowly rub her back, and whisper comforting words to her, hoping against hope that it would calm her down.

And slowly it did. Draco could feel Ella's shaking come to a stop, and her sobs became quieter as she began to calm down. Soon, she had stopped entirely. Draco began to withdraw his arms, but then he felt Ella cringe. So instead of causing another upset or even a slight discomfort, he replaced his arms around her. He felt her press her face deeper into his chest. _Man this feels good. Wait, you aren't supposed to think like that! Remember? She is your best friend, nothing more! _Draco silently yelled at himself, but did nothing to change his position. Even if she was just a friend, he enjoyed the feeling of her in his arms.

"I'm sorry Draco." Ella said, muffled by Draco's chest. "I didn't mean to loose it like that, or ditch you for those jerks. Do you forgive me?"

"There is nothing to forgive! It's totally fine, because now you know that I am better than them anyway." Draco said, smirking. "And honestly, you should never hold break downs in, okay? Promise me that whenever you need to cry, you will? And you will call me to make you feel better?"

"I promise."

**A/N: Sorry for the depressing chapter, but the next couple won't be any better. Anyways, Thanks for reading! **


	9. Life Changing Notes

Life-Changing Notes

"Hermione, it is fine. Honestly, I think he was overacting a little anyway. He should not have brought up the train incident anyway. I promise. I am not mad at you." Ella said, sighing as Hermione stumbled over herself and almost completely knocked over the table Ella presently sat at.

Ella surveyed her friend. They had not been the same together since the train incident, and Hermione felt it too. However, she had been trying extra hard to be a good friend to Ella, but with Christmas break rapidly approaching it was getting to be a little too much to handle. The obnoxious niceness, the friendly favors, and the extra chirpy greetings were fraying Ella's nerves to the crisp, and obviously costing Hermione. Ella knew McGonagall gave her a time turner to go to all of her extra classes, but it was obviously burning Hermione out. She wanted to tell her friend to slow down or to drop some classes, but every time she tried to bring it up, Hermione would rudely deflect the statement and quickly change the subject. That, too, was wearing on Ella's tolerance level of the Gryffindor.

Draco noticed this too, as Ella had been spending much more time with him since the train incident. He, once again, seemed to be the only one who actually got where she was coming from, and he actually listened and cared. _Maybe a little too much, _Ella thought smirking. He had been like her guard dog this term, walking her to many of her classes and scalding anyone who even looked at her in a rude way with his insults. It happened to be one of those incidents when Ella had bumped into Hermione, and instead of being cordial, Draco had to open his big mouth.

"Oh look, it's the filthy mud blood who abandoned Ella at the one time she needed her. Ella, why do you still hang out with this girl?" That was what Draco had said, and he was the reason Ella was stuck with her in the library, doing damage control. Ella sighed again, and then noticed a paper crane flapping her way.

Ella couldn't help but smile at Draco's creativity. He had taken up the muggle craft of Origami a couple years after they had met, and he had gotten impeccably talented. He had just recently started placing charms on them to make them move, and Ella could tell that it brought him great joy to see something he made move on its own, no matter how much he would deny it.

Ella gently clasped the crane in her hands, and unfolded it under the table while Hermione jabbered on about Ancient Runes.

_**E—**_

_**Lunch in the room of requirement?**_

_**Just tell the bat something about having plans you can't break,**_

_**Then run for the door. I will be waiting. **_

—_**D **_

Ella looked up from her lap just in time to see a blonde streak disappear into the hallway beyond the library, and she couldn't help but smirk. She quickly packed her notes and books back into her bag, mumbled the lame excuse to Hermione, and felt a twinge of guilt as she made a beeline for the door. _I will make it up to her later, _Ella decided as she made her way down the hall.

Soon she reached the door to the Room of Requirement, Draco's favorite meeting spot. He claimed it was the most private, since few students even realized it existed. Ella walked by the door three times, and then entered the room. Draco had set up a table in the center of the room, complete with Ella's favorites: ham sandwiches, deviled eggs, chocolate covered strawberries, and sweet tea. He sat there, watching her as she made her way over to the table, and smirked.

"I'm glad you decided to ditch Granger. She has gotten quite annoying this year, hasn't she?" Draco said, standing up and pulling out the chair for her.

"She is just trying to patch things up. She feels really bad about what happened on the train, and it would have been fine if you had kept your mouth shut." Ella said, dropping her bag down next to her chair and sat down in the offered seat, and gritted her teeth as Draco pushed it in way too fast, almost giving her whiplash. Draco then seated himself down opposite her, his smirk once again in place. Ella gave him an exasperated look, then a "Let's just eat."

"My father got the trial to go through. It will be some time in February or March, and he said he expects an execution will come of it." Draco said, suddenly turning serious and sober. Ella put down the ham sandwich she had just taken a bite out of and put it back down on her plate, a frown already forming on her face.

"Let me see your arm." Ella demanded. She stood and walked closer to Draco, then kneeled at his side and took his arm from his side, rolling up his sleeve in the process. The scratch was still visible, with purple edges rising angry from his pale skin. "And you are sure your father does not know about the infection? Or anyone else for that matter?" She said, pulling out her wand and waving it slowly over the wound.

"I am sure. I sort of hinted it to my mother, but she did not understand. She thought I was scared of hurting it, and that was why I didn't play in the match. She didn't understand that it was worse then I had originally let on." Draco said, as his shoulders dropped in a defeated manner.

Draco had injured himself at the beginning of the term, when he had decided to be his usually stupid and cocky self and cross a Hippogriff. He had been carried to the hospital wing, but Madame Promfrey had discharged him shortly after he had entered. Ella didn't even hear about it until dinner, and it was several days after the incident had happened when she actually glimpsed the wound.

Ella had honestly been expecting a minor scratch that Draco was making a big deal out of, but it was not so when she glimpsed it for the first time. Pus and blood had been oozing out of the wound, and the edges of the skin had turned black and rose in sharp edges. It had appeared Draco had contracted an infection in the wound, and somehow, instead of healing the wound, Madame Promfrey's hasty healing spell had made it worse. Ella had researched for days before she found a diagnosis and a treatment, and even now, months later, it had not completely healed.

_It would have healed faster, but Draco was too stubborn. _Ella thought to herself as she mechanically continued to wave her wand over the wound. _I mean, yes, it is progress that he felt guilty about getting that beast in trouble and getting his father involved, but he obviously needed help beyond what I could give. If we had told Promfrey maybe he wouldn't be in pain now. _

Ella sighed as she glanced up at Draco's expression. She could tell he was trying to be "tough" and not show the pain he was in, but the wince and the squinty eyes gave Ella the clue to his true feelings. She finished casting the healing spell, then pulled the pain potion out of her bag and handed it to Draco's waiting grasp.

"Dumbledore will help Hagrid win. Don't get too worried, and don't blame yourself. This was your father's doing, remember? Please don't let it bother you." Ella said as she observed Draco gulp down the potion. She then walked behind his chair and brushed the hair out of his eyes. Conjuring a cold cloth, she gently wiped his forehead and neck with it, and then made it disappear. She began to rub his back, gently digging into his shoulders and trying to get the knots out of his tense upper back. "Promise you won't blame yourself?"

"When does a Malfoy ever promise something? Especially when I am not sure if I can keep it." Draco said his voice quiet and low, and Ella could tell that his massage was painful this week, probably due to all his extra worrying. She sighed, resting her forehead against his back, knowing it was his weakness.

"Please Draco? At least try not to?"

"Fine, alright. I promise. Now finish rubbing my back so that we can get back to eating."

* * *

Draco stared up at the ceiling, trying to calm his growing nerves. The term ended in just a few weeks, but it wasn't final exams that were getting him upset. The execution was today, and of course Crabbe and Goyle forced him to go watch it. Then the Granger girl punched him for opening his big mouth, and he was sure Ella would find out any moment now and then berate him for it. As if he wasn't feeling bad enough about getting the stupid beast killed.

Draco re-adjusted his position on the green couch in his common room, and decided on a sitting up. That was when he noticed the small first year staring at him from the entryway. The boy was small with big eyes, and brown messy hair.

"What do you want?" Draco said in a scalding voice, not really excited about talking to a first year.

"There is a g-girl outside the portrait, and she s-said to come get you. You are Draco, right?" The boy eventually stammered out, almost visibly shaking at Draco's cold stare.

Draco sighed. Why did Ella always pick the scrawniest boys to be her messengers? Don't get him wrong, he loves intimidating people, but only intentionally. This boy was almost wetting himself with fear, and all Draco did was look at him! Standing up only made it worse, as the boy squealed like a pig then ran for the stairs.

Draco smirked at the boy's easy fear, and then made his way out into the hallway. Ella was facing away from him; her long red hair braided neatly and falling down her back. She looked like she was in her pajamas, and Draco wondered why she couldn't wait until morning to give him crap. He watched her quietly for awhile, taking in her tense shoulders and how she kept shifting her weight from foot to foot. For some reason, he could not see any anger in her posture. Assuming she was trying to keep her cool in public, he approached her.

Ella's face was pale and her blue eyes were dull. Her expression was hard, and Draco knew she was trying to conceal what she was feeling.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Draco said, and moved to stand in front of her. Instead, Ella quickly grabbed his wrist and pulled him along. He did not protest, for he knew that Ella would only call him out at this hour if it truly was important. He followed her into a spare classroom, where she locked the door and cast a silencing charm on the door as soon as they entered.

"El? What's going on?" Draco said, beginning to worry. Why was she acting so strange? Instead of answering, she crossed the room to where he was standing, and then almost threw herself at him. She wrapped her arms around him in a sort of embrace and buried her face into his chest. Out of instincts he wrapped his arms around her, and then stroked her back. She then quickly pulled back, keeping her arms loosely around his lower back, and stared up into his eyes.

"My dad committed suicide." Ella finally said, her voice breaking as tears fell down her face. "The headmaster told me after dinner. He left a suicide note, saying how he was sorry and he loved me. Then they said he cut himself and threw himself in the river not far from our house."

"Oh my gosh El, I'm so sorry." Draco said, pulling her back into his embrace. He then felt silly for thinking this was to chew him out for being rude to Hermione. Ella had just lost her dad, how could he be so selfish?

"That's not all Draco. I haven't exactly been truthful. Do you remember how I told you my mother died?" Ella said, pressing against his chest to avoid eye contact.

"Yeah, you said she died in a flying accident. How have you not been truthful?" Draco said, wanting to look into Ella's eyes, but not wanting to let her go to do so.

"I lied about how my mother died. She didn't die in a flying accident. She was murdered, and I witnessed it. I woke one night to her screams, and when I investigated I saw a man in black torturing her. Then he killed her. That was before he saw me, and when he finally did he told me to not be like my mother. Even though I looked like her and acted like her, he told me not to find the good in people. He said that my mother liked to look for the good in people and be nice to bad men, and that was what got her killed. Then he disappeared. Three weeks later we met. I know I told you that my mother died when I was three, but she really was murdered when I was six. I didn't tell you that day because I thought you wouldn't want to be my friend." Ella said, barely above a whisper, still avoiding Draco's eye contact.

Not even waiting for Draco's reaction, Ella twisted out of his arms and pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. "The man who killed my mother sent me this note, shortly after I found out what my father did." She said, handing the paper to Draco to read.

**_Dear Ella,_**

**_I am the man who killed your mother. I am also your God Father, and probably your real father also. Funny, isn't it? How ironic life can be, that your mother's murderer is the same man she was supposed to marry before your father came along?_**

**_It really is true. Your mother and I, we were best friends throughout school, and I asked her to marry me shortly after we graduated. I have to admit I loved your mother very, very much. Then your stingy, filthy father came along, and forced her to marry him instead. She was pregnant with you before she even said "I Do," and I faintly recall one night I spent with her before the wedding. All I am saying is I wouldn't be surprised if I truly was your real father._**

**_However, I am not here to talk about old woes and genealogy. I wrote you to warn you. Your father did not have a reliable and proper form of employment. Ella, he was an assassin. Not a muggle doctor like he claimed to be, but a cold blooded killer. I am not sure his real reason for taking his life, but it can not bode well for you dear. Be careful. Be alert. I am sorry I cannot tell you more, for I am afraid it is not my tale to tell. You will just have to unravel this story for yourself._**

**_Cordially,_**

**_Mr. H_**

**_P.S. Burn this note. And don't trust anybody._**

Draco could not believe what he had just read. Ella's father, if he should even refer to him that way, was an assassin? How was that possible, especially when Ella could not even hurt a fly? He looked to where Ella was standing, and he could clearly see she was distraught, however, the tears were gone from her eyes.

"I just don't know what to do Draco. I know I should be heart broken, but my father was never really there for me anyway. I only have a couple of memories of him, and he never really spent time at home. I should be crying and screaming with grief, but all I feel is hollow and sick. And the fact that he may not have actually really been my father? And not to mention my real father just so happened to be the same man who tortured and killed my mother? I don't know what to do." Ella said, as her knees gave out and she hit the floor. Draco was quickly at her side, gently placing her head in his lap and stroking her hair out of her face. She closed her eyes and turned towards his legs, obscuring her face from his vision.

"It will be alright Ella. I will help you figure this out, and until then you have to act like this is the biggest loss of your life. So no one gets the wrong idea." Draco said, rubbing her back and trying to figure out how to exactly be comforting.

"I won't have to try to hard to look distraught, that is for sure. I am taking my exams in the next three days then I am leaving school until next fall. The funeral is exactly in a week. I'm going to miss you Draco." Ella said, relishing her friend's comforting touch.

"You won't miss me because I am going with you. No matter what my father has to say about it, I am going to the funeral with you, and help you go through all the paper work, and help you get your life back on track. I promise I will do anything you need, and I will be here right next to you." Draco said, loving how much he relished saying those words. They were close enough to his real feelings it gave him goose bumps, and seemed to be exactly what he needed to say. Ella still did not know that he was in love with her, but at least she knew she could count on him for anything.

"Thank you Draco. You are the best." Ella said, closing her eyes as her words slowed. Draco took her hand and held it, just as she began to silently cry again.

**A/N: Plot twist! Thanks for reading! **


	10. Funeral Day

Funeral Day

"Come on Ella, we don't want to be late! How long does it take to stick some black clothes on and then walk out?" Draco yelled, exasperated. She had been 'getting ready' for more than 30 minutes, and the funeral started promptly in 20 minutes. It would sure be a spectacle if the corpse's own daughter was late to his funeral. Sighing, Draco decided to go against his better judgment and marched up the stairs to Ella's room. Knocking first, Draco said "Ella, I am coming in. You had better be decent," then entered the room.

Ella was seated at her vanity mirror, and was staring intently but with blank eyes at her reflection. She had only applied her make-up to one of her eyes, and hadn't even done her hair yet. She was, however, wearing a long black dress that hugged her body and almost made Draco's heart skip a beat.

"Ella, we need to leave soon. Are you alright?" Draco said, crossing the room and standing behind her. She didn't even acknowledge his presence until he placed his hand on her shoulder. At his touch she jumped, and then looked around wildly until she met his eyes. "Are you alright?" Draco said again, gentler this time.

"I don't know." Ella replied, closing her eyes and hanging her head. Draco sighed again, and then gently forced her to stand by lifting her up under her arms. "Come on, we need to get going." Draco said, quickly regretting it as Ella winced at his cool tone. In an attempt to calm her down, he swept her into a tight hug and began to stroke her hair. "I promise Ella, I won't leave. I will stay by your side all day, I won't leave you alone. You are strong, and we can get through this. I will help you."

"What if he shows up? What will I say? What if someone asks me if I miss my father? Will I have to act overly broken? I don't know what to do Draco." Ella said, closing her eyes and leaning her head against Draco's chest. While Draco rubbed her back he silently cast a spell to finish Ella's makeup, and bush her hair so it hung in straight and tangle free strands.

"I will cover for you, and if he shows up I will be right by your side. It will all work out fine Ella, I promise." Draco said, rubbing her shoulders and then releasing her. Noticing that she looked much more put together now, he grabbed her hand and led her down the stairs to the fireplace. He threw some floo powder in and let her go first, and followed quickly after.

As soon as he reached the funeral venue he quickly retook Ella's hand and led her to her honorary seat in the front. The venue was in a remote graveyard, with one small hut for the grave keeper and a fireplace. Around the funeral set up were guests in black, some literally crying and others just pretending to for the press. Draco was surprised at the number of mourners, for he was expecting maybe 50 at most, however there seemed to be close to 200 people in attendance. He pulled Ella's mourning veil out from his pocket, quickly smoothed it out against his leg, and then turned to Ella. She had been surveying the mourners, and slowly turned to him with a blank look in her blue eyes. Draco lightly fastened the veil to Ella's hair, then let it fall and cover up her face. He then sat down in a chair, consequently pulling Ella down with him. He was about to let go of her hand when she gripped it tighter, and watched the funeral slowly begin. Somewhere between the speakers Ella brought her head to rest against Draco's shoulder, and left it there throughout the remainder of the service.

The funeral went on without much difficulty, and at the end no one really said much to Ella besides the traditional "I'm so sorry for your loss" and its derivatives. Draco was torn between staying at the funeral longer to appear that Ella was really upset and what not for the press, but once he glimpsed Ella's pained expression from under her veil he knew immediately that it was time to go. He quickly put his arm around her shoulders and steered her toward the hut with the fireplace, and then followed her home.

* * *

Ella wished sometimes that she never knew Draco. Not often and not for very long, but it sometimes happened. Just like when one person sometimes has random resentments about their best friend? That was sort of how she was feeling right now, and it was almost killing her with the guilt of thinking like that.

He had been so supporting and so helpful for these past weeks, sneaking away almost everyday just to stay with her and make sure she was alright and looked after. She was so thankful to have a friend like him, but presently all she wanted to do was go into her room and sleep for weeks on end. It's not that she wasn't enjoying his efforts to distract her and make her happy, she just did not really want any company right now, and all she wanted was to just be alone. She needed time to sort out her feelings, and so far she had not had the sufficient time to do so.

Ella pulled her knees to her chest and surveyed her friend. He had gotten so much taller over their third year together, and his hair was longer. He no longer slicked it back with buckets of hair gel, and instead wore it naturally. His face had lost most of its baby fat, and his cheeks were now gaunt with maturity. He was dressed in a blue dress shirt that clung to his chest, and made his grey eyes sparkled. He also wore long black dress pants despite the summer heat and shiny black shoes. He had always worn dress clothes, no matter the occasion, and Ella doubted he even owned a casual outfit or even a pair of jeans. The thought struck Ella that he was very handsome indeed, and she hated when that particular thought came to mind.

She had no problem seeing them together as a couple in her head, but in real life she knew it would be close to impossible. He was a rich, "snobby" pureblood and she was the daughter of a squib assassin. Yeah, that would work out just great. She couldn't help the way she felt about him though, and man was she crushing hard. She usually hid it pretty well, but lately all she wanted to is be wrapped in his arms or, like today, be miles away from him. To put it simply: she was conflicted.

"El? Are you alright?" Draco's voice broke through her thoughts, and when she looked up she could see his gray eyes were once again filled with concern and worry. That look immediately made her irritation go away, and replacing it was an overwhelming longing for Draco's embrace. _Gosh, why am I such a girl? _Ella thought to herself. _I should be stronger than this, like Draco. He is good at hiding emotions. _Eventually Ella decided just to give in, and crawled over to where Draco was sitting and settled right in front of him.

"Can you just hold me?" Ella whispered, her pride disappearing with those words. She turned away from him, and then closed her eyes and leaned back until her back connected with his chest, and she could feel his arms surrounding her frame. _And that is how one gives into her weaknesses, _Ella thought bitterly. It did feel good though.

Ella didn't know how long they sat like that, but after what felt like about 15 minutes she fell asleep. She was then awoken by Draco's whispers in her ear.

"Oh Ella, wakey wakey Ella." Ella sat up and rubbed her eyes, shrugging Draco's arms off of her. She slowly registered where she was, and how she had embarrassingly given into her weakness. _Oh this is going to be just great, _she thought to herself.

"Okay, I'm awake. What is it?" Ella said, trying quite hard to keep the edge from her voice, and just narrowly succeeding.

"There is a man here to see you, Cherry just came and told me. I think he is here to officially read your father's will." Draco said, his smirk quickly disappearing when hearing the strain in Ella's voice. He had been silently laughing at her since he had woken her up, but that laughter was now replaced with seriousness as he told her of the visitor.

Ella sighed and rubbed her head. She then stood up, grabbing Draco's outstretched hand for support. She then led him down to the sitting room, taking in the sight of her visitor before sitting down on the couch. The man was old and wrinkly, with a very long beard and huge oval glasses. His hands reminded her of claws, and his beady eyes reminded her of a hawk searching for prey. He was short and almost humpbacked, and despite his meek appearance she was glad Draco was there next to her. She somehow felt safer with him around, and boy did that annoy her.

"Miss. Rogers, I am Anthony Burgswipe, and I am here to read your father's will. Is this young man authorized to accompany you during this endeavor?" Mr. Burgswipe said, sending Draco a calculating and cruel look.

"Why would he be here if he wasn't? Of course he has authority to be here. I don't mean to be rude Mr. Burgswipe, but you did come into my house uninvited and without my knowing." Ella said, her voice cold.

"I see. Well then we will hurry this along. Your father's will was short and simple, and quite adamant too. He has stated that all of his possessions, including this house and his other land holdings, go to you solely. He also gives you complete control of all of his family's vaults, as well as your mother's vaults. Since you are the sole heir of the Rogers name, you also receive all of your inheritance and all of the family heirlooms that accompany that. The most peculiar act in the will, however, manifests in the fact that he did not name a guardian for you. He actually adamantly stated that he wishes you to remain in the house _alone _and fend for yourself. I have already taken the liberty of looking up the law for living as an orphan, and it looks like if a parent wishes a child to live alone after their death it is still counted legal. Unless, of course, that child disagrees. Do you disagree?"

"No. I agree with my father's wishes, and I will obey them. Is that all Mr. Burgswipe?" Ella said, glaring coldly at the meddling man, and only calmed by the fact that Draco had her hand wrapped in his.

"Alright then. Here is the Will, and here are the keys to all of the above mentioned vaults. Now if you will please sign here to confirm you received them, I will be on my merry way." Mr. Burgswipe said, exasperation breeching his tone.

Ella sighed, and quickly took the keys from the man and counted to make sure they were all there. She then signed the dang document and watched as the creepy man stepped back into the fireplace and disappeared from their view.

"Well wasn't he a pleasant fellow? Kind of creepy though." Draco said, stretching and smirking once again. He had remained silent the whole time the will was being read, but he did grip her hand a little tighter when it mentioned her being left alone. She hoped he wouldn't want to discuss it though, because she did not want to reveal real reason for having no guardian to Draco just yet.

"Are you hungry? Because I feel like making cupcakes the muggle way. Do you want to help?" Ella said, ignoring Draco's joking comment. She stood up slowly and looked back to see if he agreed. At Draco's smirk she snorted and then waltzed into the kitchen, hearing Draco's reassuring footsteps behind her once more.

**Thank you so much for reading! It means a lot to me, and the next chapters will be happier, I promise. **

**P.S. 10 chapters! Wow! I have completed 10 chapters of my very first fan fiction! This is big for my guys **


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